# The Great Gatsby — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

- [Epigraph](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/epigraph.md): A four-line poem attributed to Thomas Parke d'Invilliers, which serves as the book's epigraph. It presents a cynical view of courtship, suggesting that extravagant displays of wealth and effort (symbolized by a gold hat 
- [The Great Gatsby](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/the-great-gatsby.md): Nick Carraway recounts the events of the summer of 1922, moving to West Egg and becoming entangled in the lives of his wealthy cousin Daisy Buchanan and her husband Tom, as well as his mysterious neighbor Jay Gatsby. The
- [Chapter I](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/i.md): Nick Carraway, the narrator, describes his move to West Egg and his dinner with his cousin Daisy Buchanan and her husband Tom at their lavish East Egg mansion. He observes the tension and superficiality of their lives, i
- [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/ii.md): Nick is drawn by Tom into the Valley of Ashes to meet Tom's mistress, Myrtle Wilson. They travel to the New York apartment Tom keeps for the affair, where Myrtle hosts a small, raucous party. The gathering includes her s
- [Chapter III](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/iii.md): Nick attends one of Gatsby's lavish Saturday night parties for the first time. He observes the spectacle of excess, the wild behavior of the guests, and the swirling rumors about Gatsby's mysterious past. He meets Jordan
- [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/iv.md): Nick recounts the list of guests who attended Gatsby's parties over the summer, highlighting their dubious backgrounds and the rumors surrounding their host. Gatsby then takes Nick to lunch in the city, where he shares a
- [Chapter V](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/v.md): Nick arranges the long-awaited reunion between Gatsby and Daisy at his cottage. The meeting is initially awkward, but after a tour of Gatsby's mansion, Daisy is overwhelmed by his wealth and devotion. The chapter culmina
- [Chapter VI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/vi.md): Tom and Daisy attend one of Gatsby's parties, where Daisy is simultaneously fascinated and appalled by the spectacle. Gatsby reveals to Nick the story of his past, including his humble origins as James Gatz, his transfor
- [Chapter VII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/vii.md): On a scorching afternoon, tensions between Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom erupt during a trip to New York. At the Plaza Hotel, Gatsby forces a confrontation, demanding Daisy renounce her love for Tom. Daisy, under pressure, admi
- [Chapter VIII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/viii.md): Nick recounts Gatsby's version of his past love affair with Daisy, revealing the depth of his idealization and her eventual choice of Tom Buchanan. The narrative returns to the present, where Gatsby refuses to drain his 
- [Chapter IX](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/ix.md): In the aftermath of Gatsby's murder, Nick is left to handle the grim and lonely arrangements. He struggles to find mourners for Gatsby's funeral, which is attended only by Gatsby's father, Owl Eyes, a few servants, and t

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